Webb 1

The Great Gatsby, Chapters _4-6_

RUMORS, CLOCK

Name __Madison Webb__

Quotation #1 He's a bootlegger, said the young ladies (Fitzgerald 65).

Context: Ladies discuss rumors about Gatsby and their view on Gatsbys past.
Significance: Rumors establish what people believe Gatsby truly appears to present himself as, such as a
bootlegger. The amount of rumors in this novel define the immense amount of mystery and eerie inclinations
within the book itself. Not one person truly knows what events actually occurred in Gatsbys life. Creating
rumors provides every perplexed citizen a definite answer to this confusion. The rumors expand throughout the
story to enhance the anonymity already created.

Quotation #2: Wild rumors were circulating about her--how her mother had found her packing her bag one
winter night to go to New York and say goodbye to a soldier who was going overseas (Fitzgerald 80).
Context: Carraway tells how he rarely converses with Daisy, and how he hears crazy rumors about Daisy and
her new life.
Significance: Rumors seem to reappear once a person begins to lose touch with the other. For example, no one
knows about Gatsby so the rumors commence in order to cease the locals desire to be omniscient. Once
Carraway loses touch with Daisy, he grows to hear fanatical rumors about her, such as when her mother found
her packing her bag one winter night. In the very first chapter, Daisy tells Nick how she heard mad rumors
about he apparently having a lover. Rumors can generate conversations, but also spread like a wildfire this day
in age.

Quotation #3: Who is this Gatsby anyhow? demanded Tom suddenly. Some big bootlegger?
Where'd you hear that? I inquired.
I didn't hear it. I imagined it. A lot of these newly rich people are just big bootleggers, you know. (Fitzgerald
114).
Context: After hearing boatloads about Gatsby, Tom finally questions Gatsbys true character, and follows this
question with a rumor he had probably heard once before.
Significance: The quote above provides the reader with evidence that a rumor spreads vastly the moment it
comes out of anothers mouth. When Tom hints that Gatsby appears as some big bootlegger, he furthers the
rumor once more. Tom does not know about Gatsby, yet comes to a conclusion because of the rumors he once
heard. The quote also illustrates how rumors continually expand throughout the novel no matter how old the
rumor appears to be. Tom also continues with how he did not hear it, yet he assumes it because of his social
class. The reader questions this statement made by Tom because this rumor spreads within the book, and Tom
probably did hear it from somewhere.

Webb 2
Quotation #4: He told me all this very much later, but I've put it down here with the idea of exploding those
first wild rumors about his antecedents, which weren't even faintly true (Fitzgerald 107).
Context: Carraway states this after he discovers that Gatsby was left out of a significant amount of money from
Cody, a previous sailor Gatsby worked for, after Cody dies. Carraway also finds out what truly happened to
Gatsby and his past.
Significance: The above quotation illustrates how none of these rumors validate as true. Not one rumor appears
even faintly true, which shows how not one person truly knew Gatsby for how he truly lived. Gatsby not only
bottles his life up so not one person knew, but he also gives the impression that his real life shames him. The
rumors made Gatsby who he was, fabulous and wealthy. If someone discovers his true identity, he would no
longer seem fabulous, yet shoddy.

Quotation #5: Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon
he turned
and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back in place (Fitzgerald 91).
Context: Gatsby nearly knocks a clock off of its mantelpiece when he meets Daisy again.
Significance: Gatsby feels very nervous when meeting Daisy, and many things symbolize his nervousness.
First, he offers Nick to completely redesign his lawn perfectly. Next, he seems too nervous to arrive at Nicks,
and so he arrives late because of his anxious feelings. When Gatsby knocks over the clock at Nicks home and
caught it with trembling fingers, he constantly apologizes, which symbolizes past time. The reason for
knocking over the clock symbolizes how Gatsby cannot fix something in the past. Gatsby wastes years
attempting to impress Daisy with his wealth and parties, yet she continues her marriage with Tom. Since Daisys
marriage does not appear as lovely, Gatsby desires to believe he still has a chance. Knocking over a clock
symbolizes Gatsbys wish to repeat the past and turn back the clock to rekindle the love between Gatsby and
Daisy.

Webb 3

The Great Gatsby, Chapters 4-6

JORDAN BAKER

Name _Madison Webb_

Quotation #1 Oh, it's nothing underhand," he assured me. "Miss Baker's a great sportswoman, you know, and
she'd never do anything that wasn't all right" (Fitzgerald 76).
Context: (Gatsbys response above to answer Nicks question to why information has to come through Ms.
Baker and not Gatsby himself)
Significance: To Gatsby, Jordan appears trustworthy and honest. Gatsby seems to not believe previous rumors
about her and expands on how she would never do anything that wasnt all right, such as when Ms. Baker
supposedly moved the golf ball in a past match. Maybe Gatsby does not believe these rumors to appear as true
because all the rumors about Gatsby himself were false as well. The provided quote establishes how Gatsby
values Ms. Baker and deems her phony rumors to be false.

Quotation #2: I had on a new plaid skirt also that blew a little in the wind and whenever this happened the
red, white and blue banners in front of all the houses stretched out stiff and said TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT in a
disapproving way (Fitzgerald 79).
Context: Carraway states the story Jordan told him not too long ago.
Significance: The above quotation relates Jordan Bakers thoughts to everyones perception of her. The TUTTUT-TUT-TUT of banners relate to the tisk -tisk- tisk movement of humans when in disapproval of something.
The disapproval seems to concern Jordan. The reader learns in this chapter that Jordan truly cares about what
others think. Jordan also knows that various people continue to judge her, and she notices this judgment often.

Quotation #3: The largest of the banners and the largest of the lawns belonged to Daisy Fay's house
(Fitzgerald 79).
Context: (Jordans story continued from above)
Significance: Jordan continues how the largest of lawns belonged to Daisy Fays house. The banners from the
previous sentence described the way people judge Jordan. By saying Daisy has the biggest banner infers how
Daisy judges Jordan the most. Since these ladies are best friends, one could assume that the judgment between
them both would be minimal. Daisy judges her because Jordan believes Daisy appears superior to her when they
both lived in Louisville as children.

Quotation #4: I was flattered that she wanted to speak to me, because of all the older girls I admired her most
(Fitzgerald 79).
Context: (Jordans story continued from above)

Webb 4
Significance: Jordan depicts Daisy almost as a role model, a hero. Jordan was flattered that Daisy even
wanted to converse with her. Ms. Baker may have become friends with Daisy due to her adoration for her since
her childhood. The reader discovers since the beginning that Jordan does not contain numerous family
members, but rather she lives alone. Having Daisy as a friend could make Jordan feel accepted and wanted,
what she deserved to feel all along.

Quotation #5: The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be
looked at sometime, and because it seemed romantic to me I have remembered the incident ever since. His
name was Jay Gatsby (Fitzgerald 80).
Context: (Jordans story continued from above) Daisy sits in a car with an officer who appears as Daisys lover.
Significance: By stating how the incident seemed romantic, Jordan knows that Gatsby and Daisy were lovers
before Jordan and Daisy grew close. By Jordan just telling Nick about this incident now, it appears as if Jordan
keeps secrets better than the reader previously had imagined. Jordan kept this a secret maybe due to the fact that
she did not want anything to come between her and Daisys friendship, especially a silly little secret.

Webb 5